The Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony will take place this evening. It is expected that 30 newly elected MPs will take the oath of office alongside him. The Janata Dal (U) and Telugu Desam Party have played crucial roles in this power establishment. Nitish Kumar from Janata Dal and Chandrababu Naidu from Telugu Desam Party have requested significant portfolios, stirring anticipation on their allocations.
The Telugu Desam and Janata Dal's alliance has helped the 'NDA' coalition secure a majority. Telugu Desam is reportedly eyeing the position of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the Information Technology Ministry, while Janata Dal is pushing for the Ministry of Railways. Both factions of the Janata Dal are vying for the Ministry of Agriculture.
Despite mounting pressure on the BJP from its coalition partners, the party is adamant about retaining crucial portfolios such as home, finance, defense, and foreign relations. The allocation of ministries is expected to become more intricate. BJP is resolute in safeguarding the four pivotal portfolios and is unlikely to compromise on the appointment of the Lok Sabha Speaker. Telugu Desam might be granted the position of Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha. The Janata Dal (NC) is seeking the Railways portfolio, while Telugu Desam is eyeing Information Technology and Road Development portfolios.
It is anticipated that they might be appointed as Ministers of State for these portfolios. Additionally, Srikakula Kinjarappu Ram Mohan Naidu is slated to be sworn in as a cabinet minister, while Chandrasekhar Pemmasani is expected to take the oath as the Minister of State. Furthermore, JDU's Rajya Sabha MP Ram Nath Kumar is gearing up to become a Union Minister from JDU for the second time. Ramnath Thakur, the son of socialist stalwart and former Bihar Chief Minister Karpuri Thakur, is set to be honored with the Bharat Ratna posthumously. Both Janata Dal and Telugu Desam, as major components, are likely to secure at least 2 and 4 Union Ministerial positions respectively.
Other parties like Shiv Sena Shinde group, NCP Ajit Pawar group, Janata Dal (D), Rashtriya Lok Dal, Lok Jan Shakti Party, Apna Dal, Hindustan Awami Morcha, Jana Sena, and Republican Party will also have representation. While many of these parties have demanded a minimum of two ministerial posts, each is anticipated to receive one ministerial post in the initial phase of the cabinet formation. In the meantime, Jairam Ramesh, the Congress leader, clarified that the party leaders are yet to receive invitations for the oath ceremony.
Prataprao Jadhav from the Shinde group and Praful Patel from the Pawar group are potential ministerial candidates from Maharashtra. Narayan Rane and Udayanraje Bhosle from BJP, and Ramdas Athawale from the Republican Party are also being considered.
Here are the specified portfolio requisites for the constituent parties: - Telugu Desam: Lok Sabha Speaker, Road Development, Panchayat Raj, Health, Information Technology, and Education - Samyukt Janata Dal: Agriculture, Railways, Panchayat Raj, Rural Development - Janata Dal (Secular): Agriculture, Panchayat Raj, Civil Supplies, Rural Development - Shiv Sena Shinde: Heavy Industry Likewise, Prataprao Jadhav from the Shinde group, Praful Patel from the Pawar group, Narayan Rane, Udayanraje Bhosle from BJP, and Ramdas Athawale from the Republican Party might receive opportunities from Maharashtra.